Family of injured Georgia teen wants police body camera footage released
A grieving Georgia family wants a full independent investigation into an unfortunate fluke that landed a 19-year-old in the hospital with neck fractures and a severe spinal cord injury after running away from the cops.
A grieving Georgia family wants a full independent investigation into an unfortunate fluke that landed a 19-year-old in the hospital with neck fractures and a severe spinal cord injury after running away from the cops.
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A grieving Georgia family wants a full independent investigation into an unfortunate fluke that landed a 19-year-old in the hospital with neck fractures and a severe spinal cord injury after running away from the cops.
As Jaylin Hughes lays in the hospital with the possibility looming that he may never walk again, his family wants the body camera footage released, which they believe could explain the circumstances Hughes was facing.
However, McDonough police maintain that Hughes was being pursued on June 12 because he allegedly was smoking marijuana with a group of other teens inside a car parked at an apartment complex on Flowers Creek, WSBTV reports.
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Cops said Hughes made a run for it and fell and suffered multiple neck fractures and a critical spinal cord injury.
“He attempted to climb the fence and was unsuccessful. The officer gave verbal notice that he was going to deploy his Taser and then deployed Taser,” Maj. Kyle Helgerson said. “Mr. Hughes was able to get on the fence after the Taser was deployed. The officer then turned his Taser off and there was only a one-second Taser deployment.”
But Hughes’ family wants internal affairs investigation to reveal the details of transpired in the next moments after the taser was deployed and the moment he fell was critically injured.
“The officer ran toward Mr. Hughes and attempted to get him off the fence but was unsuccessful. Apparently, Mr. Hughes’ momentum pulled him over the fence and he slipped out of the officer’s hands,” Helgerson said.
That’s statement is what Hughes family is taking issue with and more of a reason why they are fighting for the body camera footage to be released.
“Jaylin is afraid of police. He didn’t want to have any problems,” said Hughes’ uncle, Sidney Hughes. “I’m having problems trying to understand how a minor incident leaves a kid paralyzed.”
“I want all the facts brought out,” Sidney Hughes said. “He’s 19, so he’s prone to make 19-year-old mistakes but nothing out of the ordinary. He’s no gangster, no thug or anything like that.”
Hughes has been charged with obstruction of justice and possession of marijuana.
The officer involved is still on the job.
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